Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted consignments of illicit drugs concealed in coffee sachets and book parcels destined for Zambia and the United Kingdom, as the agency also confirmed the arrest of a long-wanted female drug kingpin in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The intercepted substances include Ketamine, Ecstasy and Tramadol pills, which were discovered at a courier facility in Lagos on December 24 and 29, 2025, according to the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
The seizures coincided with the arrest of 22 Indian crew members aboard a merchant vessel, MV Aruna Hulya, following the discovery of 31.5 kilograms of cocaine at the GDNL Terminal, Apapa Port, Lagos, on January 2, 2026.
Babafemi said the cocaine was concealed in Hatch 3 of the vessel, which originated from the Marshall Islands. Those detained include the ship’s master, Sharma Shashi Bhushan, alongside 21 other crew members, all of whom are currently under investigation.
Meanwhile, in a separate operation in Oyo State, NDLEA operatives arrested a notorious female drug dealer identified as Fatima Ilori, popularly known as “Mama Kerosine.” The 65-year-old suspect, described by the agency as a major distributor of illicit drugs in Ibadan, had been on the NDLEA’s wanted list.
Babafemi said Ilori was arrested on December 29, 2025, during an intelligence-led operation at the Onireke/Elekuro area of Ibadan, alongside another suspect, Olusanya Abosede, 35.
The arrest followed the seizure of 238.4 kilograms of skunk, a potent strain of cannabis, allegedly linked to the drug kingpin.
The NDLEA said investigations are ongoing across all cases, as the agency intensifies efforts to dismantle drug trafficking networks operating within Nigeria and across international borders.